I just received the following from Michelle Kubot (an intern with "Pelopidas", a promotion company apparently handling the US Chess Championship):

(abridged)
"I’ve been reading your blog (chessvine.com) and I just wanted to let you know the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship is coming up! It is May 7-17 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center in St. Louis.

The nation’s top 24 players will seek to take the title from last years winner Yury Shulman–including the top 12 American players by rating, the 2008 U.S. Junior Closed Champion, the 2008 U.S. Open Champion and the 2009 U.S. State Champion of Champions. Not to mention, over $200,000 in prizes are on the table!

Anyway, here is a link to the media kit: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009. And Also, here is a link to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis website: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org, where you can RSVP for the free tickets. This website will also provide daily coverage! And both have player bios, chess facts, tournament history, etc.

Just figured you and your blog readers or social followers would love to know about all this as fellow chess buffs! There's a facebook group too."